For muscle relaxation, a common supplemental dose is 200-400 mg of magnesium daily, often split into afternoon/evening doses, but always check with a doctor as needs vary; the tolerable upper intake for supplements is 350 mg/day to avoid laxative effects, though some research suggests higher amounts (like 350-500mg/day) for muscle recovery, so starting lower (around 300mg) is wise. Your existing diet and health status influence your needs, so consulting a healthcare professional is recommended before starting supplementation.
Scientific studies suggest adequate doses ranging from 500mg-1500mg; therefore, current recommendations may not be enough.
Magnesium citrate: Laboratory experiments have shown that magnesium citrate is more easily absorbed and has a higher bioavailability than other forms of magnesium. Therefore, if you are taking dietary supplements for muscle soreness, then magnesium supplementation in citrate form may be your best bet.
When taken in doses greater than 350 mg daily, magnesium is possibly unsafe. Large doses might cause too much magnesium to build up in the body, causing serious side effects including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
One great way to support your muscles is by ensuring your body gets enough Magnesium. Magnesium is essential to muscle relaxation and nerve, heart, and bone health.
Immediate Effects (Within a Few Hours to a Few Days)
Muscle Relaxation and Cramp Relief: Some users report relief from muscle cramps within 24 to 48 hours after starting magnesium supplementation, particularly with easily absorbed forms like magnesium citrate.
Best Natural Muscle Relaxers
Magnesium for Energy Production and Fighting Fatigue
Magnesium can also reduce feelings of stress, which can drain energy reserves. Best Time to Take: Morning or early afternoon. Taking magnesium in the morning with breakfast or in the early afternoon helps you take advantage of its energizing effects.
Magnesium deficiency symptoms start mild with fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and headaches, but progress to more severe issues like muscle cramps/spasms, numbness, tingling, anxiety, insomnia, abnormal heart rhythms, and even seizures, affecting nerve, muscle, and brain function crucial for overall health.
Magnesium glycinate is one of the most popular and well-tolerated forms of magnesium for people struggling with anxiety or insomnia. How it works: This form is bound to glycine, an amino acid that naturally promotes relaxation and improves sleep quality. Benefits: Reduces stress and physical tension.
If you are deficient in magnesium your body may not have the necessary minerals to actually relax your muscles. Increasing magnesium in the body is a great way to reduce muscle tightness and get the most out life, exercise and any treatment you may be receiving.
Supplements can provide nutrients that help your muscles recover and get stronger. This can sometimes help with muscle soreness, too. Some of the best supplements for muscle recovery include protein, creatine, branched-chain amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, electrolytes, and magnesium.
However, if you ingest high doses of any magnesium supplement, you might experience side effects, such as diarrhea, gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and worse. If too much magnesium builds up in your body, as can happen if you have kidney disease, you can have serious side effects.
Magnesium chloride is known to be effective at treating muscle spasms. It: helps relieve muscle tension, tightness and stiffness. aids working muscle tissue, allowing for quicker muscle recovery after strenuous exercise.
Magnesium: Magnesium can help manage anxiety and insomnia by regulating serotonin and improving brain function, explains Dr. Madrak. Plus, it can improve other areas of our health, including digestion, cardiac function and sleep patterns. Suggested dose: Up to 250 milligrams before bed.
But some foods and drinks can make it harder for your body to absorb magnesium or even increase magnesium loss, so timing and pairing matter.
For drinks high in magnesium, opt for mineral waters, fruit juices (especially orange, cherry, watermelon), plant-based milks (soy, almond), and homemade concoctions using raw cacao, coconut milk, or magnesium powders mixed with water or smoothies, with hot chocolate (made with raw cacao) and herbal teas (like nettle) also being good choices.
For women especially, magnesium is important because it plays a role in hundreds of different functions involved in hormone regulation. Thankfully, increasing dietary magnesium intake and taking a daily supplement can reverse symptoms and optimize blood sugar levels, mood, sleep and menstrual cycles.
Both caffeine and alcohol reduce the amount of magnesium in your body, which ain't a good combo because magnesium is a super important mineral for your mental and physical well being. It's actually the fourth most common mineral in your body, after sodium, calcium and potassium, so you really do need a boat load of it.
Magnesium and Zinc
Researchers have found that high doses of zinc supplements can decrease magnesium absorption and affect magnesium balance in the body, regardless of calcium intake.
1. Magnesium glycinate: Best absorbed form, bonded to glycine amino acids, gentle on the stomach, ideal for muscle cramps and sleep support, and considered the safest form with the least side effects.
Magnesium supplements do not usually produce an immediate effect after the very first dose. As a general guide, you may start to notice subtle benefits within about a week of consistent daily use, although for some people it can take several weeks for magnesium levels to build and for symptoms to improve.
Cherry juice contains many plant compounds called anthocyanins. They have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and as such, they can reduce the sensation of pain and exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD).
“Over-the-counter medicines like NSAIDs and naproxen can still provide muscle-relaxing effects, such as relief from muscle tension pain,” says Dr. Edwards. “They're often the first line of defense when treating acute muscle pain.”
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise
Tense each muscle group and notice how that muscle feels when it is tensed. Hold this tension for five seconds while breathing in. Then, release and relax that muscle all at once.